It's weird, and slightly awkward, because Draco could remember every single thing he did, while he was under the obliviate charm. It scared him that someone could just make him forget like that, but he was relieved that he got his memory back."Yeah," he said in a soft voice, obviously awkward about the situation. Maybe he shouldn't have talked to Harry, because he should have just left him to himself. He probably has a lot of stuff to think about. He sighed, and shook his head. "My dad was furious, but instead of torturing me, or killing me like I expected, he obliviated me," he said with a shrug. It was much worse than any torture could have ever been. "Somehow the spell broke when you died, I have no idea how, but yeah," he ended with a shrug.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Draco’s words made Harry’s stomach ache. He figured Draco wouldn’t go unpunished, but the thought of Obliviate as a punishment made Harry nauseous and distantly, he ran his palm across his forehead, slightly rubbing at his scar where the scar tissue was the worst in an effort to distract himself. He would have spoken as he once again eyed Draco, but seeing how easily the other dismissed the curse, Harry swallowed his words and just ended up nodding. “I hope you’re okay,” he eventually spoke as a half assed effort to leave the subject be, instead continuing the conversation down a slightly different path.“I’m glad to see you,” Harry started, this time a lot softer if not almost timidly, clearly trying to get a feeling of how things were between them. His own concern for Draco’s well being eventually caught up to him and – slightly embarrassed by his fussing – he continued with a tired smile. “- didn’t expect to, though.”

Not really knowing what to say, Draco sat down next to Harry on the windowsill. Honestly, he didn't expect Harry to be happy to see him, so it's a pleasant surprise to him. "I considered just walking past you," he admitted, looking down at his feet and the rubble. "I didn't know if you would want to see me again." The quiet in the castle was so heavy, because just about everybody was in the Great Hall, and only very few people were out looking for survivors. Hogwarts was unrecognisable, and Draco honestly had no idea how to feel about it. He looked up again, and looked over at Harry with a soft frown. "Are you okay?" He asked, even if he knew that it was a bloody stupid question. Even if the war was technically over now, then he knew that it would be a long time because anyone would okay again. Still, he figured that Harry would know what he was asking.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry just shrugged at that. No, he wanted to say – after all this was the only thing he could answer truthfully, and some part of him didn’t believe he would ever be okay again, but he assumed Draco already knew that.“Things haven’t really caught up to me yet,” Harry answered, and he turned to meet Draco’s eyes. “I know it isn’t, but if you were to tell me that this was just all a dream, I’d believe you.” The corners of Harry’s mouth turned slightly upward, but his smile was tired and joyless, well aware of the foolishness that lied behind his words. “It still feels unreal.”Once again the conversation took another intense turn which Harry would like to avoid, and Harry had to look away. “I’m happy you didn’t,” Harry commented on Draco’s original statement. They had lost so many to the war and Harry was relieved that he didn’t have to lose another; but not knowing how to (or if to) express this, Harry didn’t continue.

It really did feel unreal, Draco agreed on that. Honestly, he didn't really know how to react to this. He reached out and took Harry's hand, not sure if he was allowed, but he needed something to steady him, and he really felt like physical touch would help him with that. The world was so unreal, but Harry's hand was very real, and that was enough for him."A year ago we were just kids," he said in a small voice, just looking at the black-haired boy with a soft frown. It's almost overwhelming to think about the fact that they once children, who walked around these halls, and stressed about Quidditch and Potion essays. It all just seemed so silly in hindsight. They had dead classmates now. People who were never going to get their NEWTS, and who were never going to leave Hogwarts. It's too much, and if it hadn't been for all the other horrors he had also seen, then he would probably have been more moved by it. It had bee the longest night of his life, and he felt like he had aged 30 years in the span of it."I can't believe it's over now."

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry didn’t know how to answer that, but he found comfort in the fact that he wasn’t really as alone as he felt, and Draco's hand in his was a kind reminder of just that.With slow, lazy movements Harry leaned closer to Draco, resting his forehead on the other’s shoulder. Harry was exhausted, more than he could express, but still, this was the first time he felt tired enough to fall asleep."I'm so relieved it is," he finally phrased. Voldemort had controlled Harry’s life for so long, and now that Harry was for the first time truly free he didn’t really know what to do. Once again Harry straightened his back a bit, so he was once again able meet Draco’s eye, and for the first time, there were traces of a faint but genuine smile in Harry’s features. "I've never been this miserable, but I’m so glad it’s over. We won."

Draco was still undecided on the entire ordeal, because sure he knew that this was the right thing, but he had been on the wrong side for so long that it was difficult to not think of it as losing. He smiled back softly, but the smile was not as genuine as Harry's. "You did indeed," he said in a soft voice, gently running his thumb over Harry's knuckles. Either way, it was over, and they could finally just relax. Sure, there was a lot of work ahead of them, and they had an entire society to rebuild, but there was no more living in fear for someone killing your loved ones in their sleep. It was over. "It's over, and you won," he said with a tired smile. He could fall asleep right then and there, but he knew that he had to stay awake for a while longer. He knew that they had a long and difficult road in front of them, and he was already weary from the mere of thought of it. He didn't even know if they would be able to return home.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry knows what lies behind the correction and it truly breaks his heart to hear Draco say that. There's so much he can say to argue against it, but the mixture of thoughts trailing back and forth through the final battle overwhelms Harry into silence and into action instead.Quite like their first kiss, this one was also a substitute for words. With Draco’s hand still in his, Harry leant forward to meet Draco's lips in a kiss. The kiss wasn’t as soft as their conversation had been, but was instead an expression of the gratitude and appreciation Harry had for Draco and how he had acted through the last stages of the war.Harry's free hand found its way to Draco’s neck, his thumb resting against Draco’s jaw, as Harry eventually pulled away. A slight frown had formed between his brows, as he still inches apart from the other mumbled: "We won. You saved my life."

The kiss surprised Draco, but he wasn't opposed to it. Instead, he just returned the kiss with the same passion Harry was showing him, letting his eyes flutter shut, and just focus on the feeling. It was nice, it really was, especially because Draco doubted that he would get to kiss Harry again. He moved his hand to Harry's wrist, mostly to have something to hold on to, and to confirm that he was actually being kissed, and it wasn't just a part of his imagination. When Harry broke the kiss, Draco still didn't open his eyes, not wanting to look up and face the reality of the situation. He liked to imagine that they weren't sitting in the broken wreck of their school, and that they hadn't just finished a war. He nodded softly, not wanting Harry to move his hand by moving around too much. Even with Harry insisting that they both won, then he doesn't quite feel victorious. Sure, this was the outcome he knew that the world needed, but it was still a deeply bittersweet moment for him. After all, that is what happens when you are on the wrong side of a war."I did what was right, for the first time in my life," he said in a soft voice, finally opening his eyes, and looking at Harry with a soft frown. "Don't thank me for being a decent human being."

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry let out a small grunt as a small sign of disagreement, but instead of speaking he just traced his hand down the back of Draco's neck to let it rest at the curve by his shoulder. "Still," Harry just spoke, as his thumb continued to trace down Draco's neck and to the top of this collarbone, before giving Draco's shoulder a squeeze and finally letting completely go of him. Harry's eyes had lingered on his hand and on Draco's neck, and it was first now that he once again met Draco's with a slight smile. "Most people in your position wouldn’t have been decent human beings."Harry's eyes rested upon the other for a moment, his gaze flickering between Draco's eyes, before a smile pulled the corner of Harry's mouth upwards in a slight grin. "Just accept my gratitude, will ya?"

"Over my dead body," Draco jabbed, but he was wearing a soft smirk, which lit up his face considerably. He was still exhausted, but now it just all seemed so ridiculous to him, and he had to joke about it somehow. If he joked about the situation, then it just didn't seem as bad as it actually was. It's all over now, and while there was an awful lot of rebuilding to do, but they would get there; he believed that there are enough good people still around to do this properly. "You inspired me to do good, so really, I am the one who should be thanking you," he said with a soft smile. He was still holding Harry's hand, the feeling of the hand in his was grounding him. "So thank you," he muttered, gently running his thumb over Harry's knuckles.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry couldn’t help but smile and traces of a suppressed laugh reached his eyes. Draco’s phrasing gave Harry credit he didn’t feel he deserved; generally, he felt like the war could and would have been won without him. People had inspired him more than he figured he had inspired others. Nevertheless, he didn’t argue. He figured Harry’s thanks sounded as misplaced to Draco as vice versa, so Harry just laid his free hand on top of Draco’s, briefly looking down at them as he gave it another reassuring squeeze. “I feel like I mostly whined and shagged you, though,” he finally commented, this time with a true grin as he raised his eyes to meet Draco’s. “But you’re very welcome.”

It's a busy day at St. Mungo's, and everybody are running around like crazy. There's been an accident at The Leaky Cauldron, so all the healers have their work cut out for them. Draco is having his first break of the day, trying to actually breathe like a normal person, as he gets a, much needed, cup of coffee. His blonde hair is disheveled, which is very unusual for him, but he hasn't really had the time to take care of his looks today. He is looking forward to going home and get some much needed sleep, but for now he has to stay awake, and not relax too much. He has to be ready to step in, in case more injured people should roll in. While this is an extraordinarily busy day, then it isn't really that unusual for them to have a lot to do. After all, it's a hospital, and when they do things, they usually have to be quick about it. If it wasn't because he loved it, then the fast-pace would most definitely end up breaking him, as it has with so many people before him.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

No one had expected it to be a big thing; bar fights with conflict originating from the war would occur almost biweekly, even 5 years after it had ended, and by now the Aurors had developed a routine as to how to tackle them. Most of the time it was just a matter of calming down the involved parties, and by now fights rarely became so violent that they had to take people with them and into custody. As Harry, slowly regaining consciousness, was flooed to St. Mungo’s with his hair and shirt a bloody mess, he tried to figure out what exactly had happened.The fight had yet to become violent as they arrived, though a crowd had gathered to watch it unfold. Harry didn’t recognize the kid by looks but by name, as he fiercely defended his father’s innocence of the war crimes the other accused him of having committed. The last thing Harry remembers was stating his name and rank, before everything went dark.Only half aware of the Healers that met him, Harry raised his hand to his face trying to place the pain. He barely brushed the bruise on the left side of his jaw before someone took a firm grip around his wrist and forced it away, and with a low grunt of displeasure, Harry tried to figure out how the bruise was connected to the bleeding cut that stretched from his temple and deep into his hair (because this pain, on the contrary, he had no trouble pin pointing).

Honestly, Draco was convinced that the world was just taking a **** on him, when a nurse came running into his nurse, and stated who was there, and how he required help. Of bloody course Harry Potter would have to be lead in here, when Draco has only been here for a couple of months. He'd been doing so good with avoiding people from his past, but of course Harry Potter had to enter his ****ing ward. Those are the only thoughts Draco had time to have though, before he got moving; he had a patient to tend to after all, no matter how much the name made him wince. He quickly got working, insisting to be professional about the matter. Not that Potter would notice how professional he was, seeing as he kept slipping in and out of a coma constantly. Draco found comfort in his years of experience, which caused him to stay calm, rather than panic like some of his colleagues were doing. He knew that most of the panic stemmed from the fact that they were working on Harry Potter, who was like the beacon of hope and ****. He won't even dare to imagine what'll happen when Potter suffers a natural death sometime in the future."Get yourself together, and help me hold this charm, will you?" He snapped at an assistant, who seemed paralyzed with fear.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Harry was aware of the fact that every time he blinked, several minutes had passed. The lighting was different every time he regained consciousness, but with his eyesight this blurry (Merlin knows where his glasses had ended up) it was hard to make out the shapes around him; that was, unless someone occasionally stuck their wand in his face to stop the bleeding from the bruises on his jaw, and even then his attempts to focus on the objects would just made him nauseous and worsen his headache. Instinctively, Harry closed his eyes and a frown appeared between his brows each time his shoulders tensed with a flash pain.He was just about to drift off again - he felt how the pain slowly was replaced with exhaustion - as a familiar voice surprised him enough to open his eyes. The quality of his eyesight hadn’t changed, and in useless an effort to place the voice with a silhouette, Harry blindly turned his head to one side, to a female nurse’s displeasure. His throat was raw, and as he mumbled weakly, his throat tasted overwhelmingly like iron. "Draco?”"

The weak murmur coming from Harry surprised Draco quite a lot. They hadn't seen each other, since Draco and his mother left for France. In fact, he hadn't seen anyone from his time at Hogwarts since he went to France, but that was a whole other thing. He gently leaned down over the unconscious man, shaking his head at him. He tried to act like it was nothing, and finishing his bloody work, like a normal healer would; but all the other healers are staring at him by now, and he knows that they won't let this slide. Merlin, these people really had nothing more important to care about, so they had to make a huge ****ing deal out of this. He shouldn't be as surprised as he was, it is Harry freaking Potter after all."Yes Potter, it is me. We're patching you up, and you're going to be just fine, no worries," he stated in a professional voice, not wanting to show any emotional attachment. Honestly, he didn't even want to think about his past with Harry Potter. It was a bloody mess after all, and there was no reason to tap into that again. He demanded the attention of the healers back to their work, and it didn't take long before he could wave them all out, and finish the last things himself. After all, it wasn't that critical with Potter. He was going to live, so the others could stop their bloody worried.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Following the sound of Draco's voice, Harry tilted his head slightly the other way as Draco briefly moved so close that Harry was able to at least partially focus on him and get a look at him. The sight that met him brought a genuine grin to his lips, closing his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed. Harry hadn't expected to run into Draco Malfoy under these circumstances (actually, he had years ago accepted, that he might never do), and he couldn’t help but laugh, but the sound got caught in his throat and it didn’t amount to much else than a rasping cough. As Harry closed his mouth, it once again tasted like blood, but as the charms cast upon his injuries were finally taking the edge of his pain, the iron aftertaste of his blood was slowly replaced with a vague minty taste. A few silent moments into the pain relief, Harry exhaled heavily with a frown. He assumed he had lost quite a bit of blood, because the sudden amount of oxygen that reached hid brain made him light-headed. "**** me," he mumbled, slightly disoriented as he finally opened his eyes, just to find that his vision was still as impaired as before. "Sorry, hi – ****, I keep forgetting just how blind I am –" it took him a few seconds to locate Draco's silhouette, and as he did, Harry awkwardly tried to straighten himself up into a more seated position. "You're … back in London."

Not stopping his work, Draco watched Harry react to the fact that Draco was his healer. It was odd, and a part of Draco just wanted to forget that they even knew each other in the first place, even if Harry had made that impossible. He grabbed the glasses resting on the night stand, which they had managed to fix, and gently handed them to his patient. "I am back in London," he parroted, as he put the finishing touches on a potion, which was emitting a nice pearly smoke, and smelled sharply of spearmint. He poured the thin, turquoise liquid into a mug, and then handed the mug to Harry as well. He didn't even know what to do about this situation, because he had really managed to put his entire life in England behind him. "Put on your glasses, and drink what's in the mug. It won't taste all that pleasant, but it will help your healing, and will lessen the pain," he instructed, very clearly in his element. After he and his mum had moved to France, he had quickly learnt that he wanted to keep helping people; and he had made the decision to just throw himself into work and school, so that he could get through the healer school quickly, and go work with what he loved. He was happy with his job, and he loved what he was doing.

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it’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: pouring river water in your socks

Clumsily, Harry managed to put on his glasses. His fingertips were tingling, making the gesture awkward, and when he was handed the potion, he almost felt drunk as both his extremities and head buzzed. Harry gripped the mug tightly in fear of dropping it, as he lifted it to his lips. His eyes lingered on Draco across the edge of the mug, as he downed the potion in a few gulps. Though Harry had become familiar to St. Mungo's since he started as an Auror a few years ago, he still shut his eyes as an involuntary reaction to the burning taste of spearmint which the potion left behind."No, yea, I've had it before," he said as his grimace and the overpowering eventually taste faded, though his voice remained slightly shaky. Harry once again turned his eyes towards Draco, and after watching him for a moment, something in his medicated brain felt the need to continue, and he blurted out: "- you haven't been here long, have you? Or have I just gotten my arse kicked nights when you weren't in?"

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